best size/shape for mid-size garage

Futbalfantic said:
Put a “steeple” on the house and raise the roof line.
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I'd seriously considered this.
I also wonder if they'll count my chimneys as part of the height, I'd assuming not....
 
shelby27604 said:
I can have nothing to add of value, just wanted to say I am jealous of all the garages pictured!
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I'm taking notes for when I build mine. First note is my original planned size isn't big enough :lol:

Duane
 
CLRracer said:
I'm taking notes for when I build mine. First note is my original planned size isn't big enough :lol:

Duane
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Whatever size you decide to build won't be big enough either, trust me.
 
Tim C said:
Whatever size you decide to build won't be big enough either, trust me.
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I have no doubt, but that little thing called a budget will have more influence on the size than I'd care for it to lol.

Duane
 
CLRracer said:
I have no doubt, but that little thing called a budget will have more influence on the size than I'd care for it to lol.

Duane
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Just make sure you have tall enough walls, and good enough structure to add sheds off the side, at a later date.

I find myself needing covered storage much more than i do shop space.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
Just make sure you have tall enough walls, and good enough structure to add sheds off the side, at a later date.

I find myself needing covered storage much more than i do shop space.
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Whatever size I end up with will have shelters on three sides. If I need more covered space than that I'll just put up a few carports somewhere else on the property, but looking at current inventory of junk that shouldn't have to happen. Which of course means it absolutely will eventually :rolleyes:

Duane
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
From my experience, adding the door, floor, and stairs should be something that is "planned" in your mind, but not done until after inspections and occupancy is granted.
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Exactly my plan.
Same w/ plumbing and any electrical more than the single required cicuit...
 
drkelly said:
Mine is not built with trusses. It has some kind of special beams running the 25-26' span, then rafters so we can finish in the area above. If you Did something like that, then you could build a staircase on the exterior of the garage with a normal door to enter the space above to use for storage.
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You can also have "attic" trusses built. They're shop-fabricated too, but the bottom chord will be 2x10 or something along those lines. You can often get out of using engineered lumber because the individual member spans are less and the entire roof frame acts as a system.

Dave probably doesn't have the allowable height for an attic, though.
 
I'm starting to consider going w/ a metal building instead of traditional post style. Man are they cheap. Seems 30x40 is a really common size. A lot of kit sellers a 30x40 is cheaper than smaller sizes.
I'm wondering what implications that has for the interior framing. I know I'll want to add walls and likely drywall to at least half of it. Am I going to lose the savings by having to do extra framing? I also don't quite see how you could add features like a door or window later.
 
Something I learned recently. You can buy a metal red iron building for say 20K but it will cost 20K to put it up.
 
RatLabGuy said:
I'm starting to consider going w/ a metal building instead of traditional post style. Man are they cheap. Seems 30x40 is a really common size. A lot of kit sellers a 30x40 is cheaper than smaller sizes.
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ghost said:
Something I learned recently. You can buy a metal red iron building for say 20K but it will cost 20K to put it up.
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Like ^ said, somehow those low prices always end up way higher than they seem.

Knowing what I know after building my shop pole barn style with steel trusses, I would probably just go with conventional studwalls. If I needed clearance overhead, I'd probably stick with steel trusses. If I wanted attic space, wood trusses.
 
RatLabGuy said:
I'm starting to consider going w/ a metal building instead of traditional post style. Man are they cheap.
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Now estimate your electrical install cost for wood frame vs steel.
 
If you're talking about the metal buildings like this
KIMG0770.JPG

Like we have at work, basically one of those carports with sides and doors, all metal frame, this one leaks some when it rains, not as bad as leaving the stuff inside out in the elements obviously, but you have to watch where you put sensitive stuff. I'm sure some of that was installer error. I hate the cheap roll up doors too.

If you were going to insulate and drywall it'll need more work and money to finish for sure. I think this one cost my boss 6000 or so 10 years ago or better. I built my pole barn in 04 for $20000 ish. But mines not finished inside, it is barely insulated. the one pictured has no insulation or electric either
 
jeepinmatt said:
Like ^ said, somehow those low prices always end up way higher than they seem.

Knowing what I know after building my shop pole barn style with steel trusses, I would probably just go with conventional studwalls. If I needed clearance overhead, I'd probably stick with steel trusses. If I wanted attic space, wood trusses.
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This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for info info on - why would you have gone conventional stud walls?
shawn said:
Now estimate your electrical install cost for wood frame vs steel.
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Ditto above - I don't know what all the differences in cost will be so would like to know.
Please elaborate. I assumed that w/ pole barn vs steel it would be surface mount either way.
 
Tim C said:
If you're talking about the metal buildings like this
View attachment 325818
Like we have at work, basically one of those carports with sides and doors, all metal frame, this one leaks some when it rains, not as bad as leaving the stuff inside out in the elements obviously, but you have to watch where you put sensitive stuff. I'm sure some of that was installer error. I hate the cheap roll up doors too.

If you were going to insulate and drywall it'll need more work and money to finish for sure. I think this one cost my boss 6000 or so 10 years ago or better. I built my pole barn in 04 for $20000 ish. But mines not finished inside, it is barely insulated. the one pictured has no insulation or electric either
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This is not what I'm wanting or considering. There are vendors who have pictures of things that look pretty much like a normal barn, with real eaves and such, that people use to fraem into "barndominiums" inside. Now what I don't know yet is how to really tell the difference between a cheap POS and what would be decent.

Also, just to be clear, either way, wood pole barn or metal frame, I'm contracting the install.
 
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RatLabGuy said:
This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for info info on - why would you have gone conventional stud walls?
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Stiffness, familiarity, ease of insulating and mounting shelves. Downside is loss of space. I think the main thing for me is the stiffness because the girts are laid flat against the posts, so the boards are not loaded in the strong direction, and as an engineer it just really bugs me. Truth is, its plenty strong enough for the application, it just doesn't feel right.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Stiffness, familiarity, ease of insulating and mounting shelves. Downside is loss of space. I think the main thing for me is the stiffness because the girts are laid flat against the posts, so the boards are not loaded in the strong direction, and as an engineer it just really bugs me. Truth is, its plenty strong enough for the application, it just doesn't feel right.
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Everytime Ive ever been in your shop youve made this comment.
Youve also told me how you personally designed and fabricated your custom door slide...
 
Ron said:
Everytime Ive ever been in your shop youve made this comment.
Youve also told me how you personally designed and fabricated your custom door slide...
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Well, I just answer questions as they are asked :flipoff2:
 
jeepinmatt said:
Stiffness, familiarity, ease of insulating and mounting shelves. Downside is loss of space. I think the main thing for me is the stiffness because the girts are laid flat against the posts, so the boards are not loaded in the strong direction, and as an engineer it just really bugs me. Truth is, its plenty strong enough for the application, it just doesn't feel right.
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So Im thinking i will probalmbly frame the inside anyway, at least part of it. Which does beg the question, then my not just stick frame from the get-go?
The primary reason is, I can get the shell up now, then take my time to frame it out as i want, on free labor vs paying more now.
 
Check out Versatube. My shop is 20 deep and 24 wide with 10’ wall height. I assembled it myself. Daddy helped me one day standing the ribs and one day with the metal on the roof. I wouldn’t have gone a different route now 6 years later.
 
Confirmed w/ the county, size can be 1/2 of "habitable space" which my full size basement counts. Hieght is capped at the aeverage height of the home as masured from several points around it to the apex of the roof (I couldn't sweet talk her into saying the chimney) so I have a cap about 18'. Grrr not ideal but workable.

What I'm thinking about at the moment is a 30x40 with the trusses running the shorter distance, 14' walls and a 12/3 pitch, which would be just at the max height at apex.
3 garage doors along the 40' span offset to the right so there is some un-doored space on left. Man door on left wall perpendicular to garage doors.
Inside, I'd like to frame it so there is a loft over the left most garage space, going full depth and maybe 16-20' (depending how that works out with the doors). So basically 2 bays are open high bay other is not. The back 8-10' of teh first bay (w/ teh ceiling) will be bathroom, 2nd bay will be shop bench space, and 3rd will remain open w/ just shelves at in the end so it is a nice deep space for a long vehicle. Lift in that one.

The magic to keeping that upstairs bit usable will be the trusses. If it's wood frame, that seems like a challenge - what kind of options to I have? How much space do vaulted scissors use? This is where metal framing seems ideal. But again, I don't understand how you connect interior framing to the exterior w/ that.

BrianGreen said:
Check out Versatube. My shop is 20 deep and 24 wide with 10’ wall height. I assembled it myself. Daddy helped me one day standing the ribs and one day with the metal on the roof. I wouldn’t have gone a different route now 6 years later.
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Looked into that. Specced out the price is in the same ballpark as a pole barn kit from IDYPoleBarns.com.
How do you attach it to the slab? Just concrete anchors? You feel like the construction is sturdy? Did you frame the inside?

EDIT - just noticed the Versatube has a horizontal cross-ties on the struss supports. That would be a problem for my upstairs section.
 
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